What Hurts the Most
by Khymeira
Summary: Harry catches Draco in the act of cheating on him and leaves him. Takes the title from Rascal Flatt's song. NOT a songfic. FINALLY UPDATED!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Warnings: If continued, this will be a slash. If you don't like it, please don't read it and flame me 'cause you decided to ignore this.

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What Hurts the Most

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He surveyed the scene, gob-smacked. There _he_ was, his longtime _boyfriend_, since even before Hogwarts, in their bed with another man.

Harry James Potter, destroyer of the evil Lord Voldemort, made no effort whatsoever to conceal his movements as he tore from the room, slamming the bedroom door behind him.

Frantically wiping at tears that streamed down his face, the Boy Who Lived charged blindly to the fireplace and shoved his hand into the pot of floo powder on the mantle.

"Harry!" So the lowlife decides to make an entrance, Harry thought, pausing. Turning around, he was greeted by the divine vision of Draco Malfoy, buck naked save for the sheet draped around his hips.

Red-faced and gasping for breath, he called, "Harry, wait! Let me explain," but became quiet as a maniacal grin appeared on his lover's face.

"Bye bye, Drakie-poo." With a childish wave, Harry Potter stepped into the fireplace, threw down his floo powder and disappeared from the flat leaving a weeping Draco Malfoy.

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Author's Note 1:Short, I know, butI'm not sure if I will continue this- I want to make sure that people will read it if I do. If you would like a continuation, please review so!

Also, if you simply want to comment on my writing style, go ahead. I'm sure it's rusty; It's been FOREVER since I've written a fan fiction.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Warnings: If continued, this will be a slash. If you don't like it, please don't read it and flame me 'cause you decided to ignore this.

This chapter is now edited- I changed the Three Broomsticks to the Leaky Cauldron. Thank you to all of you who pointed it out- I have to say that without a beta (I'm still looking, if anyone is interested...) that my revision skills aren't the best.

This chapter is dedicated to the lovely JonaDark. Your review made my day- a silver platter, indeed…

_What Hurts the Most_, _Prologue Two_

He must have truly been clueless, he realized now, to not to have known that Draco Malfoy was having an affair.

But of course, he was a Malfoy. Simply one person was not enough to satisfy a Malfoy. But Harry had thought, Harry had _hoped_ that of the assurances Draco gave him were true. He was truly an idiot. Harry Potter, conqueror of the one Dark Lord Voldemort was simply a conquest for Draco Malfoy. He knew that now.

Loving the blond-haired bastard only made the pain worse. He was done, Harry rationalized, with all things Draco Malfoy.

That also meant being done with the wizarding world.

Brushing the soot off his jeans, Harry wasted no time in leaving the Leaky Cauldron, muttering a quick 'Hello,' to Tom and the others he knew on his way out. Pushing the door open, he blinked owlishly as he was faced with the bustling world of muggle London.

Ah, the sweet, sweet smell of freedom…

**Author's Note One**:

I know- two prologues, but trust me- I'm just getting started. Starting with the next chapter, the text will get longer. I just decided to break the prologues into two separate pieces. Truly, I had meant the first chapter as a drabble but obviously you guys like it! Over TEN reviews! Amazing!

**Author's Note Two**:

_Thank you _to all of you lovely people who reviewed!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Warnings: If continued, this will be a slash. If you don't like it, please don't read it and flame me 'cause you decided to ignore this. Also, this chapter has some pretty heavy swearing.

Dedication: To all of my loverly reviewers, yet again. And a special thank you to Jonadark. Your reviews always make me smile!

**

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-----Have a little freetime? I'm looking for a beta! PM me or e-mail me using the e-mail in my profile if you're interested. I'd appreciate the help!----_

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What Hurts the Most, __Chapter 3_**, 

Draco Malfoy was pissed. No, Draco Malfoy was livid. He was an idiot, he already knew that. His intentions had been good at first (or so he thought); he had only gone to the club to get a reprive from work- to let off some steam after having to deal with Lucius, his father and ex-death eater extraordinaire.

The man was fucking insane! Always talking about some odd thing or another, spacing off, talking to himself- and the mood swings were simply wonderful. Fucking bipolar little shit. After dealing with the psychotic man, who wouldn't want a drink?

But that was where he had gone wrong. Usually he would have waited until got done with his healing at St. Mungo's to go out, but Harry said to go on without him. Goddammit, he hadn't meant anything by it!

Draco had gone to their usual, _The Asylum_ (everything was insane, wasn't it?), and had then proceeded to drink himself drunk, but some random guy had come up, pestered him for a fuck, and then…

And then Harry had walked in on them. What ever liquor that had kept Draco sedated left immediately as soon as Harry had come into the room . Harry. He had seen him with his cock up some other man's arse, and then Harry had left. That Draco understood. He had cheated on Harry; what would he have done if he had caught him with another man? Probably kill them both and then skewer their entrails.

But Harry hadn't gotten angry. He didn't even look sad. At the end… he had looked crazy. Like that Nicholson guy from _The Shining_, only without the axe. And his eyes… they were so cold… so cruel… so devoid of emotion, and so unlike his Harry.

No. Draco owed him an apology- an explination to a situation he rightly didn't understand himself. Goddammit, he'd fucking grovel if he needed to! He'd abandon whatever was left of his Malfoy pride and kiss Harry's feet, punish himself, anything to redeem himself even a millimetre in Harry's brilliant emerald eyes.

At much, Draco needed to understand himself. That decided, Draco grabbed his Armani coat, shoved it on, ripped the door open and slammed it after him. He needed answers, and after that? He had a Potter to find.

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Author's Note 1:

Thank you to all of my reviwers. I appreciate it! You have no idea! I know, it's short. I'm sorry! This is only part of a chapter; I lost the other half of it. I'll A) rewrite it or B) find it and put it up then. I hope you enjoy this in the meantime!

Author's Note 2:

I'm so happy! This story is shaping up to be a major hit! Over thirty reviews… I'm waiting till I get fifty! I can't wait! Please read and review!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Warnings: If continued, this will be a slash. If you don't like it, please don't read it and flame me 'cause you decided to ignore this. Also, this chapter has some pretty heavy swearing.

Dedication: To the doughnuts that gave me the energy to complete this after having to read the entirety of 'My Antonia' in one night, and also to all of my reviewers- je t'aime. Also, thank you to my readers. You are lovely! gives readers little chocolate Dracos

**-----Have a little freetime? I'm looking for a beta! PM me or e-mail me using the e-mail in my profile if you're interested. -Crim. ------**

_What Hurts the Most_, _Chapter 4_

Harry Potter thought that he was doing very well, thank you very much, and was elated that he really hadn't though about his ex-lover at all in the three days that he had been gone. Okay, so he had thought about him a bit. Or all the time, it didn't matter- at least he had gotten over the weeping every time something reminded him about Malfoy.

When had he resorted to using Malfoy? Thirteen hours, five minutes, and twenty eight seconds ago? That sounded about right. Yes, Harry Potter was doing _just fine_ without Draco Malfoy.

He could help but let a single tear fall as his heart clenched at the old memory. As much as he was loathe to admit, Harry Potter was still very much in love with Draco Malfoy, even though the betrayal had ripped his heart in two. Perhaps he was naïve, perhaps he was incompetent, but still… the image of the blond Adonis haunted him everywhere he went. Damn. He had it bad.

Every single time he blinked his eyes, there Draco was, thrusting into the mousy-haired man and it never failed to tear his heart into more pieces. Harry knew, deep down somewhere, that he shouldn't be letting Draco-fucking-Malfoy effect him this much- he was nothing more than dirt. Nothing more than decomposed organics. And yet, why did it hurt so much? But then again, he already knew the answer, didn't he? God damn it, he loved the fucking backstabber. It was killing him.

When his mind wasn't occupied by the Ferret, it undoubtedly reverted to his friends and how he had left them with no condosolences. How would they feel? How would they react, now that Malfoy had finally betrayed them, just as they said he would all along? Ron'd probably throw an apoplectic fit, and one could never guess how Hermione would act- she was pregnant, wasn't she? She was bipolar; happy one second, dejected and whimpering the next. Goddess, what could he do? He couldn't go back, he already knew that. He could, at least, write a letter. That, at least (he hoped) could satisfy them until he was settled. Then they could kill him after then, he couldn't care less. He just knew that life without Draco wasn't worth it. Taking up a pen in one hand, a spare piece of paper in the other, Harry began his letter.

_To Everyone,_ it began,

_I'm sorry I've left, but trust me, there was no other choice. None of you have done anything, so don't worry. Especially you, Ron, Hermione. Just know this- I'm safe and I'll get to you again when I'm settled. Don't worry. _

_Love always,_

_Harry _

_

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_

"Don't worry!?!?" A frantic Ron yelled, his voice oddly high pitched, waving the letter in front of Hermione's face. "He tells us '_don't worry'_ ? He's gone, poof, no trace of Harry and he wrote us a letter telling us 'not to worry'? What the fuck is he on?" Jerking to face Hermione, Ron gulped audibly, anger changing to worry. "Do you think something happened to him, Hermione?"

Hermione surveyed Ron calmly, thanking the Gods silently at least _someone_ knew control. Though her heart ached for her M.I.A. friend, she no less knew that he wouldn't have left without some sort of a reason, and somehow, she suspected, that had to do with one Draco Malfoy. "Ron," Hermione said, ever the voice of reason, "do you not think that Harry had a reason to leave? I don't think anything happened to him," at Ron's grimace, she raised an eyebrow. "I think just as well as you do that our favorite Slytherin played a part in this." At this, Ron opened his mouth and began to say something but the bushy haired ex-Gryffindor silenced her husband with a dark look. "I think, if anyone, that you have to be angry with, Draco Malfoy is that person. I think, my dear husband, that we should pay Harry's lover a little visit. Don't you agree?" Hermione noted sadistically that with every word she spoke, Ron's eyes brightened ever so slightly and that a maniacal grin began to replace the grimace.

"I agree, Hermione my love, I agree completely." Pressing a kiss to her lips, Ron chuckled darkly. "Shall we?"


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Harry Potter or any of the recognized characters and no profit is being made. No offence is meant.

Warnings: Slash- male on male relationships. Angst. Spontaneous updates.

What Hurts the Most, Chapter Five

Nothing was going as planned, Draco Malfoy noted dejectedly as he glared at the harrowing form of his Lucius Malfoy, insane freak and death eater extraordinaire.

His… father was currently rocking back and forth, grinning rather grotesquely and as if he had just accomplished something big and muttering quietly to himself about things Draco simply did not care to know. But even then, he could have sworn his father looked oddly… smug about something.

"Mr. Malfoy," the voice was accompanied by a harsh rap on the cell's steel bars.

"What?!?" Draco spat, turning flashing mercury eyes to pin the form of the Azkaban guard. The man seemed more than slightly affronted by Draco's vicious frankness, but he blinked his eyes frantically, nodded fearfully, and continued.

"I was told to tell you by my superiors," the man gulped audibly, his adam's apple bobbing, " that your dad,"

"You mean Lucius," Draco ground out, gritting his teeth so hard his jaw ached and began to throb.

"No! I mean yes! Yes! I was told by my superiors to tell you that Lucius was seen the other day talking to some other guy," the man paused again and straightened the hideous polka-dotted orange and purple tie (which must have become rather tight under the legendary Malfoy death glare fixated on him) wrapped around his neck.

"Get on with the bloody fucking thing!" Draco all but screamed, clenching his hands and allowing his nails to leave crescent shapes on his palms. He didn't have to repeat it twice- the pitiful waste of human flesh wasted no time in continuing.

"Lucius was seen talking a man yesterday, who had told Jones and Johnson that he was you," vaguely, Draco thought he heard 'the bloody fucking idiots', but he couldn't have been sure.

"And what, exactly, does that have to do with me?" Draco asked, his voice a viper's hiss driping with venom. To keep from murdering the poor fool with a spork and spreading his entrails across the continents.

"That's what this is about. He was heard talking with this guy," the guard reached into one of the many pockets on his jacket, rifling around a bit, before proffering a picture and handing it to Draco. Somehow, he knew that face… where had he seen it? It was eerily familiar, and Draco got the distinct feeling that he was forgetting something that he most assuredly should not have been. He wasn't liking it…. Not at all. He started to turn a sickly shade of green when the man began talking yet again.

"They were observed to be plotting the downfall of Harry Potter."

IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: My computer died, and along with it everything I needed for my stories. As well, when I went to type this up again, I could only find the first page, and then the last page! Unfortunately, I also lost all of the e-mail addresses and everything I needed for my beta! So, if the person who had offered is still willing to beta, PM me please! I would be forever grateful! THIS IS NOT THE WHOLE FIFTH CHAPTER. As soon as I find the rest of the pages or re-write it, I'll get it up. I'm planning on this chapter (and everyone after it) to be longer than the rest of the ones that I have put up. Thank you for your time and review please!!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Warnings: Slash, or male on male relationships. If you don't like it, please don't read it and flame me 'cause you decided to ignore this. Oh, and lots of cussing.

Author's note: triumphant music I hath updated-th! Er, yeah. My computer died, so I had no chance to update until now. I have also updated my e-mail address, so everything is easier for me. If anyone has the time and would like to help me with editing, as I suck (bluntly put). E-mail me or leave a review. I would appreciate it. bows

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What Hurts the Most, chapter 6

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Draco seethed with anger, glaring at the shell of a man he had called 'father'. How dare he! How bloody fucking dare he! _And what's more_, a tiny voice in the back of his mind mocked,_ how dare you let Lucius trick you and how **dare** you fuck someone other than Harry_?

"Fuck," Draco moaned, rubbing at the tears of frustration that burned at his molten silver eyes. "Oh God… Harry," he lamented, glaring one last time at his 'father' before motioning to the guard that waited at the door.

Taking a key and unlocking the cell, the man carefully let Draco out.

"Will Draco Malfoy please advance to Azkaban entrance," a monotone voice drawled from nowhere, echoing throughout the corridor. "There is a mister Weasel-bee," the magical 'intercom' was suddenly interrupted by a voice that made Draco blanche.

"Weasly, you moron! Weasel-ly!"

Oh. Fuck. Me. Sideways.

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Ronald Weasly was pissed. No, Ronald Weasely was livid enough his face nicely mirrored the flaming shade of his hair.

Ron had never liked the bloody Malfoy _ferret_, but the letter he and Hermione had received had been the last straw.

Now, he just wanted to dismember the _ferret_ and spread his entrails out for the ravens to eat.

_Oh yes_, Ron mused sardonically, _this is going to be fun_. His maniacal grin spread even wider was Draco Malfoy, _ferret_, emerged from a door, dragging his feet in a slow funeral march.

_That's damn right_, Ron thought, grimacing viciously at the ex-Slytherin. _You better be fucking suffering just as much as I am_.

"Ferret," the red-head ground out between clenched teeth, "You better explain what the fuck happened between you and Harry or so help me God, I'll gut you where you stand." Oddly, Ron noticed his words got no reaction, as if Malfoy was completely unaffected by his words.

His entire body seemed frozen, numb, except for… God, was Malfoy _crying_? Ron hesitated for a moment and then decided to continue with his verbal thrashing.

"You _cheated _on him? Fucked the dude right in front of Harry? Are you fucking INSANE?" his voice reached a high squeak and Draco absently noticed that the weasel was shaking with the fury of his words.

"Yes," Draco whispered in response, " I am insane." He seemed to grapple with himself for a moment before saying, "Lucius tricked me."

"Tricked you?" Ron howled, bitter laughter following his words. "Tricked _you_, Draco Malfoy? The most conniving git ever?" Ron whooped, his eyes sending hate beams that surely would have pierced the Slytherin's heart, were they able to.

"Yes," the blond confirmed, slightly louder and bristling at the weasel's tone. "I was given a love potion. Even _you_, Weasely," he sneered the name, channeling all of his feelings into the name, making it sound like a curse, "even _you_ should be able to understand what love potions do to you. They blind you to any but the person who gave the potion to you. How the fuck was I supposed to know that there was a potion slipped in my drink?"

Ron seemed unphased for a moment before his spitfire temper flared again.

"How the fuck can I trust you, snake scum? Give me two reasons that will make me believe you with, and quick. I've got to find Harry before someone else finds him first."

"I love Harry," at Ron's muttered 'I'm sure you do', Draco shook his head. "I do. I'm completely and utterly…" he paused, unsure, "in love with him. Without Harry, I'm better off dead. Believe it or not, Wheeze-uhl-eey, even I can love someone."

"I want proof!" Ron roared, spittle flying. "Proof!"

"And I can give it to you," a third voice said, startling both Ron and Draco. "We have footage and several reports of Mister Lucius Draconis Malfoy of cell seven hundred and thirteen indeed plotting the downfall of one Draco Malfoy."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

An: Finally an update! I've got a lovely deviant art up, with some of my not-fanfiction works. It's Ceraedin look me up! I'm also on lovely youtube as well under that name as well. Thankies!

It might be a bit again before an update- I've been having a whole load of issues such as my parents splitting and moving, so since that's finally getting settled, I'll be able to update again as soon as I have a working computer. :)

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Harry coughed violently on the acrid smell of smoke that drifted throughout the pub, blinking his eyes so that they could adjust to the dim lights.

It was the closest thing Harry knew that Draco wouldn't dare step foot into, and for once, Harry was thankful for Draco's muggle-phobia.

"What can I do you for?" a voice asked suddenly, making him jump. He looked up to see a petite, pixie-ish woman, her walnut colored hair long enough in the front so that it framed her face and the back was full of almost lethal looking spikes. "Sweetcakes, I don't have all day. Either order something, or get out." She frowned slightly at Harry's deer-caught-in-headlights expression and pursed her lips.

"Maddix!" she snapped, waving a man over who had a dishrag and a glass in one hand. "You look like you're in a right spot, sweet. This is Maddix. Maddix, this is…"

The woman stared down Harry, her chocolate eyes clearly insinuating she was waiting for him to introduce himself.

"Harry," he offered slowly, afraid the lady would kill him if he didn't make the right move.

"Lovely. Harry, Maddix. Maddix, Harry. Order something and play nice while I'm gone, okay?"

Harry watched as the woman strode through the crowd, chirping greetings to customers as she disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Turning back, Harry observed the other man staring unnervingly at him.

"I'm sorry, I…" Harry began, but Maddix shook his head, smiling slightly.

"I'm sorry for Jaz, there. She can be a bit scary, as you can see."

Harry nodded in agreement. "No kidding."

"Can I ask you a question?" Maddix had leaned forward on to the small table they sat at, his bar stool creaking.

"I guess you can, if you want." Harry's voice trembled as a puff of smoke floated over from a few seats away and Harry glimpsed a rotund leather clad man clutch his belly as he chuckled. Looking back to Maddix, he felt the other man's eyes search his face, as if memorizing every detail.

"To what do we owe the presence of the great Harry Potter?"

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Ron glanced back and forth between Draco Malfoy and the Azkaban prison guard as he tried to keep his temper controlled over the red that invaded his vision with every thundering heartbeat.

"You have," he took a _very _deep breath as he tried to calm himself, "_proof_?!" By the end of his sentence, Ron's tone had gotten high and squeaky, almost as if he had a rubber duck lodged in the back of his throat.

"Yes. Do tell," Draco seemed very cool and collected behind his Malfoy mask, but inside his mind ran rampant. _You betrayed him_, his mind raged, _even if you were under a potion. You'll never get Harry back, _it mocked, _never get him back_…

"Two of a couple of the lower men were working when they recorded this," the guard flicked his wand and an image of Lucius and the blonde man Draco now knew had given him a potion conversed in whispers. Bits of _put this_ and _is his club_ and _Harry Potter_ were repeated several times and loud enough for the magical recording to capture. With the end, the guard nodded abruptly and left, leaving Draco and Ron behind, alone.

Draco ground his teeth at the scene, his control slipping further out of his grasp every moment.

"Oh," Ronald the Weasel stated, gob smacked, mouth opening and closing like a fish's.

"Well I suppose," Ron started, but then his stature sunk as he realized how much of an ass he had been.

"Malfoy, I guess I jumped to conclusions. But when Hermione and I received Harry's letter…" the man's neck grew crimson as he stuttered and apology.

"It's fine, Weasely," Draco sighed, rubbing the back of his pallid neck with one hand, " but I can't get over what I did to him, even if I was under the influence of something… Do you have the letter he wrote you?"

Immediately, the redhead patted his cloak down, searching multiple pockets for Harry's letter. "It's at our house," Ron told Draco, after sever moments of scouring the nooks and crannies of the worn fabric, "but I can show you there. Hermione always was more suspicious that something happened to you than you just up and decided to… well you know. I guess I should have listened to her." At mention of Ron's wife, Draco shook his head.

"Yeah, maybe, but I can't blame you though." There was an awkward pause, but Ron broke it by coughing and clearing his throat.

"Well, let's go then. I hate apparition," Ron complained with a moan and the two shared a brief chuckle.

"Me too." And with two separate violent cracks, they both disappeared in swirls of ebony cloak.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

"Um, excuse me?" Harry asked, blinking owlishly at Maddix, who was blissfully ignorant of Harry Potter's confusion.

"Why are you, Harry Potter, in a dingy muggle club without any guards whatsoever? S' far as I knew, you never left _anywhere_ without the Malfoy Dragon- did he let you off your leash?" The man inclined even further and began invading the brunette's personal space, placing an olive toned hand on Harry's denim clad thigh.

"There were a few problems," he divulged, glancing at Maddix's hand like it were a disease-infested slab of rotting flesh. "How did you know I'm Harry Potter?" he asked suddenly, his attention diverting from the hand on his thigh.

"Maddix Lafleur, m'dear. I'm a werewolf."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Besides Maddix and Jaz, all others are just characters I'm borrowing.

Warnings: Slash. Angst. Fun stuff... heh.

Author's note: Oh my bloody hell. Now look at this- an update, finally! I can't believe that I've gotten 72 reviews for teeny tiny dinky chapters; I thank you all from the deepest reaches of my heart! Thanks for reading!

My computer is finally back up, so I should be updating fairly often as soon as the semester is over (in about a week), so look for updates soon!

I need a beta. Desperately. If you are willing to edit and tweak my plot bunnies and be meh muse, please either message me or send me an e-mail. It's on my userpage.

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"Oh." Harry blinked, twice, slowly, as his mouth tried to form words out of his stupor.

"Everyone in the magical world knows who Harry Potter is," Maddix leered, his grin beastly and primal, "so why are you here?"

"Well, I," Harry started, his voice cracking and the werewolf frowned, sniffing.

"Are you oka-" tears formed at Harry's eyes, the saline salty and tangy on the werewolf's senses.

"Shh, don't cry." Maddix tried to console Harry by putting a hand gently on the smaller's back, but the flood works only worsened and Harry whimpered as his eyes grew swollen and red. "Okay, come here," Maddix whispered as Harry rubbed at his eyes with his fists, "let's get you out of here." The muscular werewolf hefted the smaller man into his arms, casting withering glares at patrons that dared looked towards them.

Harry rested his head in the crook of Maddix's neck and the warm tears and the cool breath on the man's flesh sent shivers down his spine.

He cradled the man against his chest as he made his way towards the back stairs to the loft above and caught Jaz's inquiring gaze. Above Harry's messy mop of hair, he gestured to the ceiling. _Is he okay_? She mouthed and Maddix nodded as he held Harry closer. He started up the stairs.

"Mswar," he heard his bundle murmur against his throat .

"What?"

"I'm sorry," Harry bemoaned as she shifted his face, nuzzling the cotton fabric of the werewolf's sweater. "I didn't mean to cry."

"Everyone has feelings, even the great Harry Potter," he murmured in response, chuckling lightly as he opened a door to a rather spartan bedroom. He gently deposited the boy on the bed as Maddix took a seat on one of the corners.

"I know we've just met, but if there's anything you want to get off of your chest..." he began, "you could tell me. I'd listen" he finished lamely, shrugging his shoulders sheepishly and peering over tat the other man.

"He cheated on me," the form on the bed deadpanned, fisting the simple blue comforter in his hand. "I went to get some groceries after I got off of work and I came home..." Harry whimpered as he remembered and a few tears slipped down his face before he blinked harshly. "We got to this club, Asylum, about once a week. I told him to go on without me, 'cause I stayed late at work. I finished a little sooner than I thought and wasn't much in the mood to go clubbing, so I decided to surprise him when he got home with a nice meal. He liked my cooking; he told me so once."

The werewolf's eyes stared, unwavering at the broken form of the Boy-Who-Lived. He said nothing, but his hand unconsciously drifted towards the smaller's back.

"But when I got home, he was with someone else. On our bed," the tears freely fell uninhibited as Harry spoke, his voice cracking, "I left. He tried to stop me, tried to say sorry I think, but I should have known that I wasn't enough for him. But I wanted to be." Silence ensued and Maddix's breath caught in his throat. "I wanted to be." he whispered again, melancholy and fractured. "I hate him, but I still love him. I want to forgive him. He looked so scared," Harry continued, "I've never seen that look on his face before. Not even when I battled Voldemort." the Boy-Who-Lived sighed, tracing the ornamental stitchery in the bedspread.

"Maybe it was an accident," Maddix found himself speaking before he realized what he was doing, "maybe he was drunk or maybe he got slipped a potion or something. People are crazy these days. Well, and it's you. Maybe it's an ex-death eater out for revenge."

"Maybe," Harry conceded, rubbing his cheek on the blue cotton. "But I feel that even if that did happen, I'm still hurt. If it was out of his power, it still hurts..."

Maddix let a pregnant pause fill the room. "It's going to hurt, Harry. Things in life sometimes hurt, but you've got to get over it. You won't be able to go on if you don't." He scratched absentmindedly at his ear. "Maybe he should talk to him."

Harry sighed, pulling himself to a sitting position on the bed. "But I don't know what to say. I want to see him, but..." he shook his head. "I just, I don't know."

"I think you should talk to him. Send him an owl. Maybe you guys can work this out." Maddix watched as Harry sniffed twice and blinked away bleary tears. A wavering hopeful smile formed on his slightly pouted pastel lips.

"Yeah. Maybe."

"Ron, is that you?" a voice called from another room as Ronald Weasley apparated into the living room of their home. Steps were heard as Ron and Draco steadied themselves and Draco peered curiously about. Sentimental knickknacks cluttered nearly every surface and there were three ebony bookshelves (gifts from Harry) that nearly seemed to buckle under the pressure of the mountains of books.

"Yeah," Ron said and steps were heard coming closer in response.

"Good, I-" Hermione absently wiped flour and dough on the apron she was wearing and froze and she looked up and saw Draco. "Malfoy," she acknowledged, stiffly nodding. "We got a letter from Harry," she stopped, as if waiting to hear an excuse from the ex-Slytherin. Draco shifted uncomfortably.

"We can explain that, 'Mione," Ron broke in, his neck and ears flaming red, "I just; maybe he should see the letter first." Hermione's eyes darted to her husband's and she nodded once.

"It's in here." She led them to the study, waddling slightly as her pregnant belly got in the way.

She bent over a bureau, pulling open a drawer and fished out a piece of parchment. "Here, Draco. Read it."

The blond took the paper from the woman, murmuring thank you as he looked down on the letter. There were ink spots Draco could only assume were from Harry's tears and with shaking hands, he began to read.

_To Everyone,_ it read,

_I'm sorry I've left, but trust me, there was no other choice. None of you have done anything, so don't worry. Especially you, Ron, Hermione. Just know this- I'm safe and I'll get to you again when I'm settled. Don't worry. _

_Love always,_

_Harry _

"There's more, Draco," Ron said after Draco had blankly looked at the spouses. "Here. S_pecialis ostendo sum._" Magically, the the words of the letter faded and new ones began appearing.

_I am leaving_, it stated now

_I'm sorry. I don't want to stay any more. He cheated. He cheated! Fucked him right in front of me! _God,_ how could this ever happen? I thought he loved me. It was probably Gryffindor stupidity. Merlin knows he was always harassing me about being a Gryffindor._

_I don't know where I'll be. Probably somewhere in London. Somewhere you can't find me. Somewhere he won't look._

_No doubt Hermione's figured this out already, or you wouldn't be reading it. She always was smarter than me. _

_Just leave me alone, okay? Unless someone's dying. I'll come back, I promise. Eventually._

Harry's scrawled signature finished the letter.

Draco's eyes teared up and he breathed deeply.

"He was slipped a love potion, Hermione," Ron spoke at last, breaking the deafining silence. "He... had no choice. Lucius, I don't know how, organized it from inside Azkaban. Must have been during one of his lucid moments with someone else. Maybe someone who wanted Harry for themselves, I think. I don't believe Lucius would arrange something like that this with someone who would want Draco; there's too many liabilities. He probably wouldn't organized this with someone who was an ex-death eater... he still defaulted when the Last Battle came around." Ron finished his theory and sheepishly grinned as Malfoy and Hermione stared at him with something akin to awe. "Well, it's true," he squeaked, blushing.

"I never knew you were hiding such a brain beneath your Gryffindor stupidity."

Hermione leveled a glare in Draco's direction.

"That's a good idea, Ron," she praised, patting his head. "I think it's got some actual merit. But how can we get a hold of Harry? He doesn't want to be found."

"Unless someone's dying," Ron drawled, sounding decidedly Slytherin. Hermione's eyes flashed and she smirked as she looked Draco throughly up and down.

"_Yes_," she said, "_not unless someone's dying_..."


End file.
